Chapter 1
An Ordinary Day When I Met You
Madison sighed as she scanned the room; it was nothing but business people that she didn’t really feel like conversing with. Why did she have to be there? Oh, yes that’s right she was about to release her debut album and she had to at least make an appearance.
She looked down at her feet and then smoothed down the bottom of her black dress then crossed her arms and leaned against the wall behind her. Sure she wasn’t mingling, but she was there and that’s all she was told she had to do. She didn’t like this aspect of the music industry; she saw it as a waste of time. For about the hundredth time that night she reached her hand back to make sure her long brown curly hair was still up in the clips and that it still looked decent. Even though she couldn’t tell if it looked decent or not she still had to lightly move her fingers around to make sure. Once again she adjusted her size three dress trying to stretch it or something, because her normal size six made her look wider than she really was. How she got into the dress was beyond her but she didn’t care, she could barely breathe but at least she looked good.
To say Madison was a little self-conscious would be an understatement. Madison was more than self-conscious she was everything you wouldn’t think an aspiring singer would be. She was shy, weak, dependent on everyone else, quiet, always worried about what someone was going to say about her, always paranoid that everyone was saying something bad about her; until she got on stage, when you gave her a microphone she was a completely different person. She had confidence and she didn’t care about anything as long as that microphone was in her hand.
Madison had the normal small town life; her parents forced her to attend church regularly while she was growing up. So that and her parents being overprotective forced her to never really experience anything as a kid or teenager. She never had a boyfriend, never partied, never got in trouble, she was your typical goodie goodie. She didn’t have any exciting stories about her life; nothing except her love for music and her drive to make it.
After she graduated high school she packed her car full of her things along with her best friend Tony and headed to New York, against her parents will. While in New York she and Tony met three other guys and they decided to start a band. And now six months later she was the lead singer in the punk band, Y5, who was about to release their debut album.
Madison sighed heavily again as she stared at all the people smiling and laughing. She wished the guys would have come, it would be better with them here with her. But they didn’t have to come they didn’t do that stuff; they just played in the band. Madison didn’t see it like that, they were together in the band they were apart of it too, they should be there. But John their manager said they didn’t care about the guys and the guys didn’t care about them, all they cared about was the music. Madison hated that it was like what happened with No Doubt when the media made Gwen the star. Except her boys didn’t care that Madison was the star.
“Dude why do I have to be here?” Nick asked himself out loud as he walked around the party and started to make his way over to the bar.
“Because Jive told you, you had to come.” Mike said from behind Nick.
Nick rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, “Yeah, thanks.”
“Anytime.” Mike said grinning as they ordered a drink at the bar.
Nick turned around leaning against the bar as he scanned the room. Nothing but guys in suits and uptight women.
“Yo, damn Nick look at the chick.” Mike said pointing at Madison.
Nick looked over to where Mike was pointing and stared at her for a second. She looked uncomfortable, totally out of place, and bored. “She looks familiar.” Nick said.
“Yeah?” Mike asked looking at Nick. “You do her and not remember?”
“Fuck you she’s in that new band that Jive signed, their single is called ‘I’d Do Anything’ it’s pretty tight.”
“Whatever you say.”
“I’m serious.” Nick said looking at Mike.
“Why is she all by herself?”
Nick just shrugged as he continued to stare intently at her.
Madison shifted her weight from one foot to another, her feet were killing her from the stilettos she was wearing and then every time she took a breath there was a sharp pain in her side, because the dress was so tight. She shook her head, wondering why she did all this just to look as good as the other girls she sees in the music business. On stage was a different thing, she had a different style, of course, she dressed as one would think a punk should dress but off stage she had to be just as good looking as the other girls. She knew she wasn’t even close to being better so she had to deal with being as good as or at least close to looking like them.
Finally looking up and scanning the room once again, for maybe someone interesting to talk to, her eyes met a pair of blue eyes staring back at her. She looked at the person who the eyes belonged to and couldn’t believe he was really staring at her but that didn’t stop her from staring back at him.
Madison blinked a few times and then looked around the room some more but couldn’t help her eyes wandering back to him. Like she could help it, he was beautiful and he knew it. But why was he staring at her?
“Dude she was staring at you.”
“I know, but then she looked away. I think I was making her uncomfortable or something.” Nick said looking at Mike.
“Or maybe you were making her hot?”
“God, Mike you’re not right.” Nick said shaking his head and laughing slightly.
“Dude I was just saying. Damn yo she’s pretty hot.”
“You’re just now realizing this?”
“No.”
Nick just shook his head and then started to look back at Madison.
Frustrated with being so damn bored and also with Nick staring at her, Madison finally decided that it was time for her to leave the party; she had been there since the beginning, pretty much, so it was time.
Madison moved through the crowd of people towards the doors. Right before she reached the doors she ran right into someone’s chest. She looked up and it was him.
“Sorry.” She said quietly and tried to move but he moved in front of her again. She looked up at him, he was grinning at her.
“Hi.”
Madison moved back from him a little. “Hi.” She said looking at him.
“I’m Nick.” He said smirking and then reached his hand out.
She grabbed his and shook it and said, “Madison.”
“Yeah you’re Madison Lewis right? The lead singer of Y5?”
Madison blinked slightly shocked that he knew who she was. She nodded.
“I really dig your song.”
Madison raised her eyebrow as she looked at him. “Oh really?”
Nick grinned and said, “Yeah it’s good.”
“Ok.” Madison said and then tried to move away from him once again but he moved in front of her. Madison looked up at Nick frustrated.
“Are you leaving?”
“I was trying to.” Madison replied crossing her arms.
“But I just got here.” He said smirking.
“That’s great, I’ve been here a while.”
“Want to dance?” Nick asked flashing the famous Carter smile.
“No, not really.” Madison replied and then pushed passed him and walked out of the party.
“Dude, you just got dissed.” Mike said laughing when Nick walked back over to him.
“Fuck you dude.” Nick retorted as he took a drink of his beer.
“What happened?”
“I’m not sure.”
“She don’t like you get over it not every girl falls for the Carter charm.”
Nick glared at Mike and said, “Yeah, but she will eventually.”
“Huh?”
Nick grinned and said, “I’ll get her to fall for the Carter charm.”
Mike shook his head as he watched Nick walk away and over to a few girls. “Poor girl.” He said as he watched Nick grind against one of the girls and kiss her neck.